Section 1: What is Negligence?

How Negligence Affects People

Negligence is an area of law that people can suddenly find themselves involved in at any time. Most people don't engage in criminal activity; or if they do, it's because they choose to. Similarly, if people break contracts or speed on the highway, they normally do it knowingly and with the awareness that there could be legal consequences.  By contrast, a simple failure to clean an icy walkway, to repair a rotten board, or to chop down a dead tree can result in someone being taken to court by anyone injured by the failure. It's very important to be aware of the legal implication in negligent behaviour; ignorance of this sort of thing might someday cost you a good deal of money.  The law of negligence is part of a broader area of law known as tort law, which is part of an even broader area known as civil law.  Civil law is simply that area of law governing people's relations with each other. It doesn't involve public authorities like the police. For instance, if you trespass on a person's private property or break a contract with someone, that person can take you to court to be compensated. This is an example of civil law at work. By contrast, if you commit a criminal offense, it's the authorities of the government, the police, a  Crown prosecutor ,  and so on, who will take action against you. Civil law is divided into several areas.  Tort law  is part of civil law dealing with wrongs committed by one person against another that doesn't involve breaking contracts.